Hell
Hell
Introduction: Hell is a common name for the place of the devils
and the damned. When we speak about Hell, immediately a picture comes in our
minds of, a dwelling place of the Satan or devils, of Lucifer, a fire of
punishment and his angels, the ugly cruel devils’ kingdom, the unquenchable
fire flaming eternally, a place for punishment created by God for those who are
disobedient to Him and live a sinful life this world.
In
the view of the Church, Hell is a state ‘deprived of the vision of God: never
to see the splendor of God’s face, and that face is love, love in its infinity.
This deprivation of God, is called precisely the pain of loss. God does not
throw a human soul into hell for punishment. But it is man who chooses it. Here
in my presentation I would like to show the terminology of the word Hell,
concept of the few major religions, biblical foundation, view of the Church’s
fathers, teaching of the Church and the theological point of view on the
concept of Hell.
Terminology: Hell is the English translation of Greek, “Hades”
and “Gehenna”. The second term is derived from the Hebrew word “Ge-Hinnom”
(valley of hinnom). And “Ge-Hinnom” is the abbreviation of “Ge-ben-hinnom”,
which means the valley of the son of Hinnom (Jos15: 8,18:16 ,Jer. 7:31, 19:2). This valley is near Jerusalem
The
Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church defined the term “Hell” as the place
of punishment for the wicked. It takes its origin from the word “Sheol” (Heb)
and “Gehenna” (Gk). Hell in the English translation of the Bible represents the
Hebrew word “Sheol” which mean the place of the departed and the Greek “Gehenna”
which came to denote the divinely ordained place of punishment for the wicked
after death.[1]
Concept of Hell in different religions:
Islam:
Jahannam is the name for hell, a place of
punishment of the wicked and unrighteous in the Qur'an. The term 'Jahannam'
derived from, the Biblical word 'Gehenna' or 'Hinnom' is believed to be the
gate to the underworld. It is depicted in Qur'an as a great pit. The condemned people
are thrown into it. It is a place of fire and great heat. Islam recognizes
seven hells according to the Qur'an. They are: "i) Gejemma (Jahannam), ii)
Flaming Fire (Lazai), iii) Raging Fire (Al-Hutmeh), iv) Blazing Fire (Sair), v)
Scorching Fire (Sagar) vi) Fierce Fire (Al- Jahim) and vii) The Abyss (Hamiyeh)[2]
Hindu
Hell: Hinduism speaks the idea of
hell. It is a deep abyss reserved for
false men and faithless women, and of “lowest darkness”. In the Samhitas and
the Brahmanas mention is made also of a hell (narakaloka) reserved for the
impious, and in the Mankadeya Purana of no less than seven hells[3].
Buddhist
Hell: Classical Buddhism recognizes
no less than seven “hot hell” superimposed on the general Land of No Return
Zoroastrian
Hell: Zoroastrian Religion gives us a
picture of hell. The Zoroastrians speak of the torment of unending darkness and
of a lake of fire to which the wicked will be ultimately consigned[5].
Biblical Sources:
Hell
in the Old Testament:
The word ‘hell’ is not used
in the Old Testament in the way it is understood today, though certain
passages speak of a final trial of the earth by fire (Dt. 32:22; Is. 33:14). In
the Old Testament ‘Sheol’ is the place of the living after death, which gives a
different meaning. However there is a connection between the translated word
jell and ‘Sheol’ (heb) and Hades (Gk). In order to understand it’s meaning
knowing its origin is necessary.
‘Sheol’ is a Hebrew word used for the nether world, the
abode of the dead. Seeing parallelism with the pagan myths of the Canaanites
and the Mesopotamians, many think that the Hebrews borrowed the idea. “It is
the world of the dead variously located underground (Num 16:30 ) or under the water (Job 26: 10) and
pictured as a city with gates (Is 38: 10), a place of darkness (Job 10: 21 ,22) and silence (Ps93: 17).
Sheol was not thought as a place of punishment but rather as a dull, weary
existence in which there was no pleasure and pain.[6]
Hell in the New Testament:
Christian
writers presuppose and utilize the earlier Jewish traditions. The term Gehenna
appears eleven times in the Synoptic Gospels. There it is typically accompanied
by the traditional imagery of the fire, darkness, worms, howling and gnashing
of teeth, etc (Mt 3:12;5:22;5:29ff;10:28;13:42,50; 18:9; 23:15, 33; Mk 9:43ff;
Lk 13:28).[7]
Jesus’
teaching: Jesus spoke in his
eternal eschatological menaces of hell
as the eternal place of punishment,
prepared not only for the devil and his angels (Mt25: 41) but for all who have rejected
the salvation offered by God. It is the punishment of their unbelief and
refusal to repent (Mt5: 29 par; 13:42 ,
50; 22:13 ). He speaks of
hell as a place where eternal
unquenchable fir burns (M5: 22; 13:42 ,50;
18:9), where there is darkness howling and gnashing of teeth (Mt 8:12 ; 22:13 ; 25:30)[8].
Pauline
Writings: The word Hell is not
clearly mentioned in his writings. But we get the idea about hell. He speaks of
hell in abstract theological terms as eternal destruction, ruin and loss (2 Thess1:
9;Rom 9:22;Phil 3:19; 2Thess2: 10)[9].
Hell
in the Book of Revelation: The Book
of Revelation describes a lake that burns with fire and brimstone in which the
wicked will be eternally punished (19:20 ;
20:14 -15; 21:8).[10]
Hell
in the gospel of John: While the
gospel of John does not use the term Gehenna, it does speak of punishment it
terms of judgment and darkness. But above all punishment is exclusion from the
fullness of life communicated by the Son (Jn 2:19 ; 8:24 ;
10:28 )[11].
Teaching of Church Fathers:
St
Ignatius: Ignatius of Antioch Ephesus Asia warns not to sin because the
corruption will not inheri6t the kingdom
of God
St.
Cyril of Jerusalem
Tertullian: Tertullian in his Apology states that after passing
this world there will be judgment. Those who have worshiped God will be rewarded
of eternal life and the godless will for sent for a fire equally perpetual and
unending. After the resurrection of both classes and their restoration in the
flesh, Christ will start ruling. He will judge, reward the believers, giving
them glory into the enjoyment of eternal life and condemns the godless to
eternal fire. And those who are heretics and make men heretics will be punished
any questions[14].
Irenaeus: "[God will] send the spiritual forces of wickedness, and the angels who transgressed and became apostates, and the impious, unjust, lawless, and blasphemous among men into everlasting fire"
(Against
Heresies 1:10:1(A.D.1891).
"The
penalty increases for those who do not believe the Word of God and despise his
coming. . . . It is not merely temporal, but eternal. To whomsoever the Lord
shall say, ‘Depart from me, accursed ones, into the everlasting fire,’ they
will be damned forever" (ibid., 4:28:2). [17]
Teaching
of the Magisterium:
In
the Church’s teaching, Hell is the state of everlasting punishment for the
unrepentant who die in the state of mortal sin, cut off from the grace of God
mediated through the sacraments. It is not only eternal absence from God but
the suffering of physical fire and physical torment. The Church has never
officially taught that anyone is actually in hell, only that hell is a possibility;
nor has it defined the metaphysical nature of the pains and fire of hell. The
essence of the church teaching is that every creature is destined for God’s
Kingdom, given that God’s salvific will reveal in Christ is universal, yet
there is no guarantee of universal salvation. The sheep and goats will be
separated on the day of judgment (Mt. 25:31-46).[19]
The
existence of hell as a condition of eternal punishment for sin is attested to
in the Athanasian Creed (end of fifth century). The Fourth Lateran Council
(1215), which speaks of “perpetual punishment with the devil”; the Second
Council of Lyons ( 1274), which taught that not only those who die in mortal
sin but also those who die with Original Sin “go down immediately to hell, to
be punished however with different punishments” – a teaching which differed
from an earlier letter of Pope Innocent III to Humbert, the Archbishop of
Arles, in 1201, in which the pope made a distinction between those who commit
mortal sin and merit the`` torture of hell” and those who have not yet baptized
and suffer instead the loss of the beatific vision ( see the discussion of limbo below); and in Benedict XII’s Constitution Benedictus Deus (1336).
Significantly, hell is not mentioned in the Second Vatican Council not even in
Pope Paul VI’s otherwise very complete Credo of the People of God (1968). There
is reference to “eternal punishment for the sinner” in the Congregation for
Doctrine of the Faith’s “Letter on Certain Questions Concerning Eschatology”
(1979).[20]
“Until recent times the Church’s normative
doctrine of the hell went back to Augustine, whose imaginative picture of the
afterlife viewed hell as the place of the damned, who are embodied and burn
forever in literal flames (City of God, Bk.21) Thomas Aquinas turned to
describing the essence of the pain of hell as the loss of the vision of God,
which did little to curb the horrors of hell in the popular mind. Through the
ages the doctrine of hell has often been used for the purpose of deterrence,
the fear of eternal punishment being an active motive for upright behavior.
However, servile fear is not sufficient for salvation, which is promised only
when self-centered fear is actively conquered by self-transcending love.”[21]
The
Catechism of the Catholic Church states: "The teaching of the
Church affirms the existence of hell and its eternity. Immediately after death
the souls of those who die in a state of mortal sin descend into hell, where
they suffer the punishments of hell, ‘eternal fire.’ The chief punishment of hell
is eternal separation from God, in whom alone man can possess the life and
happiness for which he was created and for which he longs" (CCC 1035)
Theological Reflection:
‘Hell’
exists. It is a dogma of he Catholic faith. The suffering of hell never ends.
Hell does not signify any particular place but it is a state of soul. It is a
result of rejecting God and His Love. The Church teaches us this as revealed
truth. It is a state ‘deprived of the vision of God: never to see the splendor
of God’s face, and that face is love, love in its infinity. This deprivation of
God, of love, is called precisely the pain of loss.”[22]
God does not throw a human soul into hell for punishment. But it is human being
who chooses it. So, Hell is not God’s sanction as punishment for the sinners
but the sinner’s choice. God does not impose hell as a punishment.
Conclusion:
Finally
I can say that as Christians we believe that man and woman will be banished
from the presence of God if they die with grave sins. Therefore, we are taught
to do good and avoid sins. The good and the pious inherit heaven according to
their good deeds. The sinner and the wicked inherit Hell as an eternal
suffering or punishment. So Hell is a state of life which God does not will,
but it is the choice of human being.
Bibliography:
1. Encyclopedia
of Theology, s.v. ‘Hell’, by Karl
Rahner, Bambai, St Paul
2. Encyclopedia
Americana
3. The New
Dictionary of Catholic Spirituality,
s.v. `Hell`, by Kathleen Fischer, Bangalore
4. The New
Dictionary of Theology, s.v.‘Hell’ by Zachary Hayes, TPI, Bangalore
5. McKENZIE, John SJ:
Dictionary of the Bible, ‘Gehenna’, Bruce Publishing Company, New York
6. JURGENS, William A.: The Faith of the Early Fathers.Vol.1, TPI, 1984.
7. McBRIEN, Richard P.: Catholicism. Minneapolis
8. LAZARUS, Soren: The
Doctrine of Hell. Banani, HSPS, 2002
Christ Glorious Coming:
Parousia
Introduction: Parousia is a technical term
for the future which refers to the eschatological coming of Christ. We may say
that it is an eschatological term or word related to the end of the world. It
is the term for the 'Day of the Lord' when God will intervene in world history
to bring about the plan of salvation. But the word Parousia mainly used for
Christ’s second coming in this world. So, Christ's second coming in glory at
the end of the world is called "Parousia." In this short article I
try to arrange the meaning of the word 'Parousia', its biblical foundation,
present doctrine and Church teaching.
Different names: Catholic Christians have
always believed that Jesus Christ would come back to close the current period
of human history in earth. The time when Jesus will return is given many names:
the Day of the Lord, the Parousia, the end time, and the Second Coming
of Christ.
The meaning of the word "Parousia": 'Parousia'
is a Greek word. "Parousia" was used in classical Greek in the
general sense of "Presense" or "arrival" or
"coming". This term first used by Paul and mostly used in the New
Testament, "The term Parousia is a transliteration of the Greek word (παρουσια). In classical Greek the
word had the meaning of "presence" of "arrival." St. Paul 2:12 ).
In Hellianstic Greek "Parousia" had acquired two technical meanings
(i) public arrival of officials, which was accompanied by appropriate ceremony,
and (ii) the presence of the gods, manifested in acts of power. After NT times
the doctrine came to know as the coming or the
second coming of Christ."1
Biblical foundation of the term 'Parousia'
The term 'parousia' mostly used
in the N.T., but it is little mentioned in the O.T. and it has a Hebrew
background.
O.T. understanding and Hebrew
background: "The O.T. people, whose national consciousness was
shaped by the "mighty acts" of the Exodus, awaited a further divine
deliverance in the future. This expectation is referred to in O.T. passages
describing the Day of the Lord or the "letter days," "that day"
etc."
"In the O.T. the day of the
Lord (Yahweh) is a technical term for God's saving acts in history. Before the
time of Amos the day of Yahweh was understood as a time of blessing and
happiness; but Amos taught that the day is also a time of punishment."3
Parousia in the N.T. : The
term "Parousia" and it's meaning were borrowed by the NT writers, who
substitute Christ's title 'Lord for
the name Yahweh. Clear example of the
usage of "the day" or "the day of the Lord" to designate
the Parousia as the time of the final judgment to be rendered by Christ on
mankind are in Rom. 2:16, 13:12; 1 Cor. 1:8, 3:13, 5:5; Eph 4:30; Phil. 1:6; 1
Thes. 5:2; Tm. 1:12, 4:8; Pet. 3:10; Acts 17:31. "4
Parousia
in the Gospel of Mark: "Like all writers, Mark proposes
salvation history, i.e., the salvific acts of God within history. Mark 13:24-27
is fulfillment of Jesus's prophecy on the destruction of the Temple St.
Paul
Parousia in the Gospel of Luke:"Luke's
eschatological discourse (Lk.21) closely paralles Mark cp. 13. Luke's
counterpart (Lk.21:25-28) to the apocalyptic passage in Mark 13:24 -27, expanding upon the parousia, is set
in the context of times of the nations" instead of the context of the
destruction, as in Mark. In accordance with his eschatological disassociation
of the destruction (cf. Lk. 21:29 -33
with Mark 13:28 -31),
although all things prophecies by Jesus are to occur before his generation has
passed away (Lk. 21:32 ).
The fulfillment of the prophecies in Luke consists in the knowledge that the
reign of God is near (Lk. 21:31 ).
Thus in Luke the destruction of Jerusalem Jerusalem
Parousia in the Gospel of Matthew:
Matthew is the only one of the four Gospels to use the term Parousia (Mat.
24:3, 27, 37, 49). His use of it gives his discourse on the destruction of the Temple 13:24 -27,
elaborating upon the parousia, is introduced by the word παρουσια.(immediately). As in Mark,
the Evangelist’s thought is best comprehended in terms of salvation history: in
the divine, salvation plan the parousia is the only messianic intervention to
be anticipated as following upon the destruction. The entire human race is to
recognize the presence of the Son of Man, and the last judgment is to occur.
Jesus’ historical teaching insisted upon vigilance in preparation for “that
day” (Mt. 24:42), i.e. the time of final judgment, and He declared his own
ignorance of the time of the event (Mt. 24:36).”7
Parousia in the Gospel of John: "The
Johnnie Paraclete offered a compensation for the return of Jesus. Indeed there
are occasions in the farewell discourses (Jn. 14-17) that the coming of Jesus
and coming of the Spirit/ Paraclete are closely linked. What is not in doubt is
that the Paraclete’s function is to act as a replacement for the departed Jesus
(Jn. 14:15ff cf. Jn. 16:9ff). This would become particularly appropriate at a
time when the living exponent of the link with the with the past (Jn. 1:1,Jn. 1:14 and Jn. 21) had died. The
paraclete comes to the disciples; the world cannot receive him; and it is
paraclete who enables the disciples to maintain their connection with the basic
relation of God, the Logos who makes the Father known (Jn. 14:17 ).”8
So, here we see a eschatological hope about the Spirit who will come to guide
the disciples and all nations to the heavenly father.
Parousia in Pauline writings: Nearly
every letter of the Pauline corpus witnesses to the parousia expectation. I
Thessalonians, probably his earliest extant letter, return repeatedly to this
hope. It’s certainly for Paul's missionary preaching is indicated in 1: 9-10.
Other references are: 2:19 ;
3:13 , 4:13 -5; 10, 5:23 . Christians are comforted about their dead, not with
the promise that at dead they enter into God's presence, but rather with the
hope of the parousia, which is to occur in that generation (4:15 , 17). This basic pattern is not changed
by subsequent minor modifications: II Thess. 2 lessens the sense of imminent; I
Cor. 15 and II Cor 5 raise questions, by implication, concerning the nature of
the body with which Christ is to return; Phil 1:23suggests that Paul ceased to
be confident he would survive until the parousia and that he came to believe he
would go to be " with Christ" immediately at death. But his basic
confidence in the Parousia reminded unshaken ( cf. Rom 16; 8:18ff; 13:11; I
Cor. 1:7; 4:5; 5:5; 11:26; 15:20-28; 51-57; 16:22; II Cor 4:14; Phil. 1:6; 10;
10; 2:16; 3:20-21; 4:5; Col. 3:4; II Thess. 1:5-10; 2:1-12).
Parousia in the book of Revelation:
“The book of Revelation offers a supposing that its preoccupation a timely
with eschatological matters offers an opportunity to avoid the more challenging
preoccupations of the present. Thus the vision of hope inaugurated by the
exaltation of the Lamb is set within the framework of the letters of Seven
Churches. Even if we can discern a preponderance of “religious” issue in these
letters, we should probably regard the issues being touched on here as typical
of a complacent second generation religious movement which is making too many
accommodations with the surrounding culture and which needs to be brought back
once again to its counterculture affirmation in the light of its witness to the
new age.”10 So, blood of the Lamb,
New Jerusalem and many eschatological sings and symbols are used in the Book of
Revelation.
The Bible describes the events of Jesus'
return in apocalyptic images. Mk 13:26-27: And then they will see
'the Son of Man coming in the clouds' with great power and glory, and then he
will send out the angels and gather (his) elect from the four winds, from the
end of the earth to the end of the sky. Mt
16:27 For the Son of
Man will come with his angels in his Father's glory, and then he will repay
everyone according to his conduct. Acts 1:11 : They (two men dressed in
white) said, "Men of Galilee, why are you standing there looking at the
sky? This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will return in the
same way as you have seen him going into heaven." 1 Thess 4:16-18: For the Lord himself, with a word of command, with
the voice of an archangel and with the trumpet of God, will come down from
heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are
left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in
the air. Thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore, console one another
with these words. The parousia will be unmistakable because it will be accompanied by unprecedented
signs. Mt 24:27: For just as
lightning comes from the east and is seen as far as the west, so will the
coming of the Son of Man be. Some signs are general events concerning the
evangelization of the world.
No one
knows exactly when this will occur. Mk
13:32 (Jesus began his
discourse ...) "But of that day or hour, no one knows, neither the angels
in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." 1 Thess 5:2 For you yourselves know very well that the day of the
Lord will come like a thief at night. 2 Pet 3:10 But the day of the Lord will
come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a mighty roar and
the elements will be dissolved by fire, and the earth and everything done on it
will be found out. Mk 13:33,35-37
(Jesus began his discourse ...) "Be watchful! Be alert! You do not know
when the time will come. ... Watch, therefore; you do not know when the lord of
the house is coming, whether in the evening, or at midnight , or at cockcrow, or in the morning. May he not
come suddenly and find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to all:
'Watch!'" 1 Pet 1:13 -16 Therefore, gird up the loins of
your mind, live soberly, and set your hopes completely on the grace to be
brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Like obedient children, do
not act in compliance with the desires of your former ignorance but, as he who
called you is holy, be holy yourselves in every aspect of your conduct, for it
is written, "Be holy because I (am) holy."
Church
Teaching on Parousia
Terullian says, as the farmer for the
harvest, the soldier for the definitive end of struggle (De Orat.5). The
Christian is turned to the future with tranquil assurance that the Parousia
will perfect and manifest what has already been wrought in him inchoative and
is possessed in pledge ( 2 Cor. 1. 22; 5.5)
Teaching of the Magisterium : "The
fourth Lateran council says the following: Christ "will come at the end of
the word to judge the living and the dead. He will give to all, both the lost
and the elect, according to the works. ( D.S.801).
Modern Theologian: Modern theologian are
include to see term “second coming” as unfortunate since it seem to distinguish
it from a “first coming “(incarnation), and sets the two over against each
other as distinct mysteries. In reality, the parousia emphasizes the saving
presence of Christ to history, and the completion on a cosmic scale of the
process begun in the incarnation, death and resurrection of Christ. We can say
it symbolize the consummation of history in God.
Karl Rahner, suggests that the parousia is better though of as the
wold finally coming to Christ rather than as Christ returning to the world. The
parousia is not the return of a Lord who has been absent but the breaking
through of a presence that has been continuous throughout history.
Cardinal Ratzinger (Present
Pope) and M. Schmous express the common view that, “text such as Mark 13 and
Luke 17 may be read as signs that are charachteristic of all periods of
history.”[24]
Theological Importance of Parousia:
"It would be a caricature of early Christianity to see the original
community as a small, apocalyptic sect that simply waited for the coming of the
Lord and the end of history. Two factors speak against such a view: 1) the fact
that the nature of the evangelizing missions of the early Christians; 2) the
fact that the parousia was a hope and an expectation with no fixed date. The
principle theological idea communicated by the concept of the parousia is the
doctrine of the final vindication of God's eschatological acts in Jesus Christ.
The judgment connected with the parousia is the final and decisive realization
of God's victory in Christ over the power of evil. As the final point of
history, the judgment may be seen as the manifestation of the wasted
possibilities of humanity in the light of the abiding truth of God (H.U. von
Balthasar)."[25]
First coming of Christ is incarnation and second coming is the glorious coming
of Christ with his angels to judge the living and the dead. The reality of
parousia stressed on the saving presence of Christ to history. So in this way parousia has a very deep theological
importance.
Catechism of the Catholic Church:
The Last Judgment will come when Christ returns in glory. Only the Father knows
the day and the hour; only he determines the moment of its coming. The through
his Son Jesus Christ he will pronounce the final word on all history. We shall
know the ultimate meaning of the whole work of creation and the entire economy
of salvation and understand the marvelous ways by which his providence led
everything toward its final end. (CCC-1040)
The massage of the Last judgment
calls me to conversion while God is still giving them the acceptable time the
day of salvation. It inspires a holy fear of God and commits them to the
justice of the kingdom
of God
Date of Parousia: “Once the
doctrine of the parousia is presented to faith, the question naturally arises
when the event is to occur. The teaching of Christ and of Paul on the time of
the parousia is one of the most celebrated question in the field of NT
scholarship. Many scholars have argued that in the teaching of Jesus the
parousia is certainly proximate, i.e., it is occur within the lifetime of the
twelve or within a single generation. Other scholars have attributed a similar
teaching of St. Paul
“For the early Church the date of
the Parousia was peripheral to the faith. Consequently, when the hopes for Paul
and others for a speedy coming were disappointed, their faith in Christ was not
shaken. In both II Thess. 2 and II Peter 3, the signs of the end and the
parousia itself are vividly described – not as a preview but as an exhortation
and a warning.”[27]
Delay of Parusia and Today's meaning
Conclusion:
Parousia is the glorious second coming of Christ to this world. It
has a deep theological meaning in Christian Faith and tradition. In the Bible
more or less all books of the New Testament direct or indirectly mentioned
about Parousia or second coming of Christ. Paul's writing and preaching
Parousia had a great importance that he believed
and preached- Christ will come in glory in his lifetime. But it did not happen
so. The time of parousia become a great problem in the early Church. But today
parousia has a great ecclesial importance, because Christ, the Lord is
our hope and love. He himself promised that he will come again in glory as the
Lord and Judge.
Bibliography
1. CROSS, F.L. : The Oxford Dictionary of the
Catholic Church, s.v. "Millenarianis" Oxford University Press, London
2. BAIDYA, Noren Joseph: “Parousia”, Holy Spirit
Major Seminary, Dhaka , Banani, 1998.
3. New Catholic Encyclopedia, Vol. 10,
s.v."Parousia" by C.P. Ceroke, P.1033.
4. The Anchor Bible Dictionary, vol. 5, s.v.
“Parousia” by Christopher Rowland, p. 168
5. The Catholic Encyclopedia for School and
Home, vol. 7, s.v. "Milleniaranism" by Sister M. Frances Therese, p.
177.
6. ZACHARY, Hayes: "Parousia" in the New Dictionary of
Theology, TPI, Bangalore
7. New Catholic Encyclopedia, 2nd ed.
Vol. 10, s.v."Parousia" by S.J Duffy. P.1033.
Internet
8. http//www.neue….
Universal Salvation (Restoration
of All Things)
Introduction
The
Christian Doctrine of Universal Salvation, or Universal Reconciliation, states
that all people, no matter how evil they may be, are created by God; and that
God the Father, acting through His Son, Jesus Christ, will eventually bring all
people back to Himself and into Heaven, by means which we cannot know or
understand. After death, each person will be judged by God according to his
deeds. There is punishment for evildoing, according to God's desire for
justice. But this punishment is temporary and not eternal. Eventually, everyone
comes back to God the Father, by Jesus Christ, His Son.
This
doctrine is based firmly on the Bible, as shown below. And it directly opposes
and contradicts the various doctrines of eternal punishment and damnation which
are erroneously held by many other Christian groups.
The
Final Restoration of All Things (Apokatastasis) in the Bible
We
shall consider whether the Bible gives us to hope that there will be a final
restoration of all things, in which all rational creatures will be saved, both
angels and humans. Universalists maintain that we may hope that the scriptural
passages concerning punishment are given as a corrective threat and that it
shall finally become clear that the good God finally saves all. We shall see
that God wants all to be saved and is able to save all.
Old
Testament
God the God, the Creator of Men is the Father
of Men
God is
the Father of all men. “Have we not all one Father? Has not one God created
us?” (Mal. 2:10a) “God is a kind Father who will not punish his children for
their good. God is evidently called the Father of all men in the Scriptures. He
has the disposition and principles of a Father. He loves with a Father's love.
He watches with a Father's care. He reproves with a Father's tenderness. He
punishes with a Father's design. God is the Father of all men and, therefore,
he cannot make mankind endlessly miserable.”[28]
God the Lord, or Owner of Men
All
righteous men belong to God. “Know that all lives are mine; the life of the
parent as well as the life of the child is mine: it is only the person who sins
that shall die” (Ezek. 18:4). “God will not give up what belongs to him, to the
dominion of sin and satan forever. All men are God's by creation. He has made
them all. They are his by preservation. He sustains them all. They were his at
first, and they always have remained in his care.”[29] "The earth is the
Lord's, and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it” (Psalms
24:1).
The will of God
The
will of God cannot be resisted. “All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted
as nothing and he does what he wills with the host of heaven and the
inhabitants of the earth” (Dan. 4:35 ).
“What God wills to take place, must take place. He wills the salvation of all
men because it is right. A God of purity cannot desire endless sin and
rebellion. If he wills the salvation of all men, he wills all the means by
which it shall be accomplished. It must therefore take place.”[30]
God has
no other will besides the will to save all men. But he stands alone and who can
dissuade him? What he desires, that he does” (Job 23:13 ).
The Pleasure of God
The
pleasure of God is in favor of the salvation of all men, and, therefore,
neither death, nor pain, can be the ultimate of God in reference to man. “As I
live,” says the Lord GOD, “I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked”
(Ezek. 33:11a). “Death, and sin, and pain, may exist for a time being, but if
God has no pleasure in them of themselves, they are not the end at which he
aims, but the means by which he accomplishes that end. The end in which God
rests as his pleasure, design, or purpose, must be essentially benevolent,
because he is essentially a benevolent God. Neither death, nor sin, no pain,
can be his ultimate plan or pleasure. They are the means by which his holy and
righteous designs are carried into effect.”[31]
The
pleasure of God shall prosper in the hand of Christ who is to come. “Through
him the will of the Lord shall prosper” (Isaiah 53:10). Here the pleasure of
God is, “to have all men saved, and brought to the knowledge of the truth”.
God's
pleasure shall surely be accomplished. “So shall my word be that goes out from
my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I
purpose, and succeed in the thing for
which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:11). “I will fulfill my intention” (Isaiah 46:10). “These
passages show that God's pleasure shall certainly be accomplished. His word
shall not return unto him void. It shall be fruitful.”[32]
The purpose of God
The
purpose of God cannot fail. It must certainly be accomplished. “The Lord of
hosts has sworn: As I have designed, so shall it be; and as I have planed, so
shall it come to pass” (Isaiah 14:24 ).
“For the Lord of hosts has planned, and who will annul it? His hand is
stretched out, and who shall turn it back?” (Isaiah 14:27) “I have planned, and
I will do it” (Isaiah 46:11). “Now, whatever God plans must take place. God can
have no second thoughts. He cannot see reason to change his own plans. He has
the power to work all things according to his plan.”[33]
The Promises of God
God
promised to Abraham, his servant, that he would bless all mankind, in his seed.
“I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you will curse; and
in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Gen. 12:3). "And
by your offspring shall all the nations of the earth gain blessing for
themselves, because you have obeyed my voice” (Gen. 22:18). “All the nations of
the earth, all the families of the earth, according to this promise, are to be
blessed in the seed of Abraham.”[34]
The
same promise was repeated to Jacob, the grandson of Abraham. “And your
offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to
the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and all the
families of the earth shall be blessed in you and in your offspring” (Gen.
28:14).
Final Restoration in the New Testament
The New
Testament is explicit that there will be a final restitution of all creatures,
termed apokatastasis in Greek; consider the following scriptures.
There will be a “restitution of all things”
“So
that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he
may send the Messiah appointed for you, that is, Jesus, who must remain in
heaven until the time of universal restoration that God announced long ago
through his holy prophets.” (Acts 3:20-21)
It is
“the mystery” of the will of God that all creatures finally be gathered in
Christ, both angels and men. This gathering is certain because it is by divine
predestination.
“He has
made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that
he set forth in Christ, as a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all
things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. In Christ we have also
obtained an inheritance, having been destined according to the purpose of him
who accomplishes all things according to his counsel and will.” (Ephesians
1:9-11)
Again;
it is the Father’s pleasure that all should be finally reconciled to Him
through the Son’s redemption, both angels and men; thus Christ shall be the
firstborn of each and every creature:
“He is
the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; for in him all
things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible,
whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—all things have been created
through him and for him. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to
dwell, and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things,
whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross.”
(Colossians 1:15-16, 19-20)
Christ foretold that He would draw all things
to Himself through the redemption
“Now is the judgment of this
world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. And I, when I am lifted
up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” (John 12:31-32)
Hence
the world is spoken of prophetically as reconciled with God through the
redemption:
“All
this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us
the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the
world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting
the message of reconciliation to us.” (2 Corinthians 5: 18-19)
The
final restoration seems also to be hinted at obscurely in reference to the
precursor Elijah as a figure and herald of the final coming of Christ.
“And
the disciples asked him, ‘Why, then, do the scribes say that Elijah must come
first?’ he replied, ‘Elijah is indeed coming and will restore all things’.”
(Matthew 17:10-11)
“Then
they asked him, ‘Why do the scribes said to them, Elijah is indeed coming first
to restore all things. How then is it written about the Son of Man, that he is
to go through many sufferings and be treated with contempt?’” (Mark 9:11-12)
God
Will have All to be Saved
It is the will of God that all men shall be
saved. The Bible teaches that it is the will of God that all people should be
saved in the final restoration of all things.
“This
is right and is acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires everyone
to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God;
there is also one mediator between God and humankind, Christ Jesus, himself
human, who gave himself a ransom for all.” (1Thimothy 2:3-6)
By
“everyone”, in this passage, is undoubtedly to be understood the entire human
race. Salvation comes through the belief of the truth. God wills that all men
should come to the knowledge of the truth, and be saved thereby.
The
reason why He has allowed sin is so that all might finally be saved:
“For
God has imprisoned all in disobedience so that he may be merciful to all. O the
depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his
judgments and how inscrutable his ways!” (Romans 11: 32-33)
Again;
it is His design that all should be saved:
“But do
not ignore this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a
thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day. The Lord is not slow
about his promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not
wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:8-9)
It is
His will only to have mercy:
“Go and
learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have come to call
not the righteous but sinners.” (Matthew 9:13)
God
makes it Possible for All to be Saved
Not only
does God design that all are saved but He is able to effect that design.
It is
God who makes it possible for each to be saved.
“When
the disciples heard this, they were greatly astounded and said, ‘Then who can
be saved?’ But Jesus looked at them and said, ‘For mortals it is impossible,
but for God all things are possible.’” (Matthew 19:25-26)
“None
may withstand the design of God that is to spare all. It is guaranteed that our
prayers will be answered if we make them with the correct disposition of Faith,
which is surely to pray for the salvation of all: and we are urged to pray for
the salvation of all; so it is clearly possible for all to be saved.”[35]
“Jesus
answered them, ‘Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only
will you do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this
mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ it will be done. Whatever you
ask for in prayer with faith, you will receive.’” (Matthew 21:21-22)
“First
of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and
thanksgivings be made for everyone, for kings and all who are in high
positions, so that we may lead a quit and peaceable life in all godliness and
dignity. This is right and is acceptable in the sight of God or Savior, who
desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (1Timothy 2:1-6)
Again;
God is able to give all things necessary to salvation to those whom He wishes
to show mercy:
“His
divine power has given us everything needed for life and godliness, through the
knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.” (2 Peter 1:3)
“I know
it is to have plenty. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of
being well-fed and of going hungry, of having plenty and of being in need. I
can do all things through him who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:12-13)
Accordingly
God is able to have mercy on whomsoever He wills to:
“What then are we to say? Is there injustice
on God’s part? By no means! For he says to Moses, ‘I will have mercy on whom I
have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.’ So it
depends not on human will or exertion, but on God who shows mercy.” (Romans
9:14-16)
Indeed,
the Son is able to save whomsoever He wishes to:
“Indeed,
just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives
life to whomever he wishes. The Father judges no one but has given all judgment
to the Son.” (John 5:21-22)
In fact
saving grace appears to all:
“For
the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all.” (Titus 2:11)
All
will be Saved
As God
wishes all to be saved and He is able to save whomsoever He wishes, accordingly
all will be saved.
Christ
diligently seeks every last one of His sheep until He finds them all:
“Which
one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the
ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds
it? Or what woman having ten silver coins, if she loses one of them, does not
light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it?” (Luke
15:4, 8)
It
shall be so that even as all were condemned in Adam, all shall be made alive in
Christ:
“For
all die in Adam, so all will be made alive in Christ.” (1 Corinthians 15:22)
“Again;
consider, it is “much more” to be expected that all are saved, all being
reconciled. As all men were condemned in Adam, “all men” will receive the free
gift of justification and will “much more” reign in life.”[36]
“Much
more surely then, now that we have been justified by his blood, will we be
saved through him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies, we were
reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more surely, having been
reconciled, will we be saved by his life. But more than that, we even boast in
God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received
reconciliation.” (Romans 5:9-12)
All
shall be saved as salvation is effected through infallible predestination. As
Christ died for us all, it is to be expected that He provide us all with all
that is needed for salvation.
“And
those whom he predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also
justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified. What then are we to
say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not
withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us, will he not with him also
give us everything else? For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor
angels, nr rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor
height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate
us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:30-32, 38-39)
Hence
God is the savior of all men:
“For to
this end we toil and struggle, because we have our hope set on the living God,
who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.” (1Timothy 4:10 )
He is
the savior of the world:
“And we
have seen and do testify that the Father has sent his Son as the Savior of the
world.” (1John 4:14 )
“Indeed,
God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that
the world might be saved through him.” (St.
John
“For
the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the
world.” (John 6:33)
Universal Salvation in the Early Church
“The Fathers of the
Alexandrian Church maintained the doctrine of universal salvation in
the second and third centuries and several of the Church Fathers followed them
in the doctrine. The teaching of Plato who maintained reincarnation influenced
them. It was a minority opinion.”[37]
“Pantaenus
; Clement of
Alexandria ; Origen ;
Athanasius; Didymus the Blind; Macarius of Egypt; Gregory Thaumaturgus;
Ambrose; Ephraim; John Chrysostum; Gregory of Nyssa ;
Gregory of Nazianzus; Jerome of Bethlehem; Evagrius Ponticus ;
Titus of Bastra; Asterius of Amasea; Cyril,”[38] and many other Fathers of
the Church taught about restoration of all things. Some of their teachings are
as follows:
Origen
“Origen
held a firm conviction that not a single rational being will be lost to the
darkness of ignorance and sin. Even the most recalcitrant sinner, he argued,
will eventually attain salvation. The fire of punishment is not an instrument
of eternal torment, but of divine instruction and correction. Since the soul is
essentially rational, it will eventually be convinced of the truth of the
divine pedagogy. When this conviction arises, salvation and deification will
follow. The word used to describe this universal salvation was Apokatastasis
, ‘restoration of all things.’”[39]
It was
often thought that the Church condemned Origen of Alexandria for
teaching the doctrine and it has usually been considered to be heterodox
through the centuries.
“It
must be admitted that before the opening of the council [Constantinople II],
which had been delayed by the resistance of the pope, the bishops already
assembled at Constantinople had to consider, by order of the emperor, a form of
Origenism that had practically nothing in common with Origen, but which was
held, we know, by one of the Origenist parties in Palestine.”[40]
The bishops certainly subscribed to the fifteen anathemas proposed by the emperor; and admitted Origenist, Theodore of Scythopolis, was forced to retract; but there is no proof that the approbation of the pope, who was at that time protesting against the convocation of the council, was asked.
It is easy to understand how this extra-conciliary sentence was mistaken at a later period for a decree of the actual ecumenical council.
“Augustine
(d. 430), from the time of the Pelagian controversy, emphasized the infallible
efficaciousness of God’s will. Augustine took it for granted that many were
lost. Hence, he gave the universal texts restricted scope from the scriptures.
He said they meant that God wills the salvation of all who are saved, or the
salvation of people of all kinds and classes. But God does not actually will
everyone to be saved; for if God did, no one would be lost.”[41]
John of Damascus
“A more
satisfactory explanation was given by John of Damascus (d. ca. 749), who said
that God antecedently wills the salvation of all, i.e., prior to a
consideration of sinners who die unrepentant, but that God consequently wills
the salvation only of those who freely accept and persevere in divine grace.
Salvation is a divine gift that only God can confer; but God wills to give it
to everyone who does not refuse it. This is the common opinion of Catholic
theologians today.”[42]
St. Thomas Aquinas
Universal Salvation in the Modern Church
“The
doctrine of universal salvation has become very popular in the modern Roman
Catholic Church. St. Therese of the
Child Jesus is said to have maintain it in the nineteenth Century
when it was apparently still rare for anyone to do so. Pope John Paul made her
a Doctor (a special teacher) of the Church and her little way spirituality of
childlike trust in God has been heavily promoted amongst Catholics.”[45]
St. Therese
“St.
Therese wrote a Christmas play for her sisters, in which the Child Jesus
insists, in correction of the Angel of Vengeance, that, ‘every soul will find
forgiveness’. On the last day, the Child Jesus will remain ‘the God of love’
who suffered to recompense all of the sins of the entire human race.”[46]
Hans Urs von Balthasar
“Hans
Urs von Balthasar argued in favour of the doctrine; he has been called Pope
John Paul's favourite theologian and he founded a theological journal with
Ratzinger now Pope Benedict XVI. In his encyclical ‘Redemptoris Missio,’ Pope
John Paul II expresses forcefully the same position defended by Balthasar.
If Christ desires the salvation of all and if there is a ‘real possibility of
salvation in Christ for all humanity,’ hope for all is simply part of what it
means to follow Christ.”[47]
For
Balthasar, “...Old Testament image of judgment which, with few exceptions, is
strictly two-sided—may well have become clearer (the Judge is the Savior of
all), and that, as a result, hope outweighs fear.”[48] He further says, “Still,
one ought to stay well away from so systematic a statement and limit oneself to
that Christian hope that does not mask a concealed knowing but rests
essentially content with the Church’s prayer, as called for in I Timothy 2:4,
that God wills that all men be saved.”[49]
Karl Rahner
Karl
Rahner also popularized the doctrine amongst Catholics through his writings. For
him the whole human race assumed because of the incarnation of Jesus: “Because
of the incarnation, God is in humankind and remains so for all eternity, and
humankind is for all eternity, the expression of the mystery of God because the
whole human race has been assumed in the individual human reality of Jesus.”[50]
Pope John Paul II
“Pope
John Paul II often gave us to hope that all will be saved and taught the
doctrine of universal salvation. The following are but three examples of many
compiled. ‘Eternal damnation remains a possibility, but we are not granted,
without special divine revelation, the knowledge of whether or which human
beings are effectively involved in it.’”[51] (General Audience of July
28, 1999)
“Christ,
Redeemer of man, now for ever ‘clad in a robe dipped in blood' (Apoc, 19,13),
the everlasting, invincible guarantee of universal salvation.”[52] (Message of John Paul II
to the Abbess General of the Order of the Most Holy Savior of St Bridget)
“If the
Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, is to convince the world precisely of this
‘judgment,' undoubtedly he does so to continue Christ's work aimed at universal
salvation. We can therefore conclude that in bearing witness to Christ, the
Paraclete is an assiduous (though invisible) advocate and defender of the work
of salvation, and of all those engaged in this work. He is also the guarantor
of the definitive triumph over sin and over the world subjected to sin, in
order to free it from sin and to introduce it into the way of salvation.”[53] (General Audience of May
24, 1989)
Cardinal Cormac Murphy O'Connor
“Cardinal
Cormac Murphy O'Connor, the head of the Catholic Church in England Wales
‘We're
not bound to believe that anybody's there (in hell), let's face it... I cannot
think of heaven without thinking of being in communion with all the saints and
with all the people I've loved on this earth… I hope I will be surprised in
heaven, I think I will be.’”[54]
The Doctrine of Universal
Salvation in the Official Teaching of Catholic Church
The
doctrine of universal salvation (also known as Apokatastasis or Apocatastasis
) has usually been considered through the centuries to be heterodox but has
become orthodox in Catholic Church. It was maintained by the Second Vatican
Council and by Pope John Paul II and it is promoted in the new Catechism of
the Catholic Church and in the post-Vatican II liturgy.
The Second Vatican
Council
The
Second Vatican Council maintained the doctrine that all will be saved in the Apokatastasis
or Final Restoration of All Things. The following is taken from the
constitution Gaudium et Spes:
“While
helping the world and receiving many benefits from it, the Church has a single
intention: that God's kingdom may come, and that the salvation of the whole
human race may come to pass. For every benefit which the People of God during
its earthly pilgrimage can offer to the human family stems from the fact that
the Church is ‘the universal sacrament of salvation' simultaneously manifesting
and actualising the mystery of God's love.
For God's Word, by whom all things were made, was Himself made flesh so that as perfect man He might save all men and sum up all things in Himself . The Lord is the goal of human history, the focal point of the longings of history and of civilization, the center of the human race, the joy of every heart and the answer to all its yearnings. He it is Whom the Father raised from the dead, lifted on high and stationed at His right hand, making Him judge of the living and the dead. Enlivened and united in His Spirit, we journey toward the consummation of human history, one which fully accords with the counsel of God's love: ‘To reestablish all things in Christ, both those in the heavens and those on the earth' (Eph.1:10 ).”[55]
For God's Word, by whom all things were made, was Himself made flesh so that as perfect man He might save all men and sum up all things in Himself . The Lord is the goal of human history, the focal point of the longings of history and of civilization, the center of the human race, the joy of every heart and the answer to all its yearnings. He it is Whom the Father raised from the dead, lifted on high and stationed at His right hand, making Him judge of the living and the dead. Enlivened and united in His Spirit, we journey toward the consummation of human history, one which fully accords with the counsel of God's love: ‘To reestablish all things in Christ, both those in the heavens and those on the earth' (Eph.
“...
Moreover, by the impulse of grace, he is disposed to acknowledge the Word of
God, Who before He became flesh in order to save all and to sum up all in
Himself was already ‘in the world' as ‘the true light which enlightens every
man' (John 1:9-10).”[56]
Catechism of the Catholic Church
The new, post-Vatican II Catechism
of the Catholic Church also gives us to hope that all will be saved.
“The
Church prays that no one should be lost: ‘Lord, let me never be parted from
you.' If it is true that no one can save himself, it is also true that God
‘desires all men to be saved' (1 Tim 2:4), and that for him ‘all things are
possible' (Mt 19:26).” [57]
“We can
therefore hope in the glory of heaven promised by God to those who love him and
do his will. In every circumstance, each one of us should hope, with the grace
of God, to persevere ‘to the end' and to obtain the joy of heaven, as God's
eternal reward for the good works accomplished with the grace of Christ. In
hope, the Church prays for ‘all men to be saved’.”[58]
The new Roman Missal and Divine Office
The new Roman Missal and Divine
Office do too.
“Remember
our brothers and sisters who have gone to their rest in the hope of rising
again; bring them and all the departed into the light of your presence. Have
mercy on us all.”[59] (Eucharistic Prayer II)
“Almighty
God, we recall how you sent your angel to the centurion Cornelius to show him
the way of salvation. Open our hearts to work more zealously for the salvation
of the world, so that your Church may bring us and all men into your presence.”[60] (Divine Office, Tuesdays,
Afternoon Prayer)
Conclusion
The
Doctrine of the restoration of all things is one of the central Christian
doctrines. Christians hope for the life after death. This hope is for both the
holy and the sinners. The basis of this doctrine is the Scriptures. The Church
preserves the doctrine through centuries and teaches her members to be hopeful.
Bibliography
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1.
ABBOT, Walter M. S. J.
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II. New York
2.
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Von: Dare We Hope, “That All Men Be Saved”?, San Francisco
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Catechism of the Catholic Church, United
States
4.
The Holy Bible, The
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5.
The Liturgy of the Hours, The Divine Office, New York, Catholic Book Publishing Co., 1975
6.
McBRIEN, Richard P., Catholicism, New York
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McBRIEN, Richard P.
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http://www.loveallpeople.org/universalsalvation.html
[1]. Lazarus Soren, The Doctrine of Hell, HSMS, Banani, 2002, p.2.
[3]. Ibid P.68.
[4]. Ibid.
[5]. Ibid.
[6] The Catholic Encyclopedia for School and
Home, ed., v. 8, s.v. ‘Sheol’, by, Arthur Clayborough, PP.81-82.
[7] The New Dictionary of Theology, s.v.` Hell’, by Zachary Hayes, OFM, Bangalore
[8]. Encyclopedia of Theology, “Hell”, by Karl Rahner, St Paul, Bumbai,
1975, P. 602.
[9].
Ibid.P.602.
[10]. Paul Achtemeier, J: Harper’s Bible Dictionary, Harper &
Row, New York
[12].
Lazarus Soren: The Doctrine of Hell, HSPS, Banani, 2002, p.8.
[14]. William A. Jorgens: The Faith of the Early Fathers.vol.1,
PTI, 1984.p. 359.
[18]
Tertullian, On Penance, New York., Paulist Press, P. 185.
[19] The New Dictionary of Catholic Spirituality,
s.v. `Hell by Kathleen Fischer, Bangalore
[20] Richard
P. McBrien, Catholicism, Minneapolis
[21] The New Dictionary of Catholic Spirituality,
`Hell` by Kathleen Fischer, Bangalore
3 New Catholic Encyclopedia,
Vol. 10, s.v."Parousia" by
C.P. Ceroke, P.1033.
4 New Catholic Encyclopedia,
Vol. 10, s.v."Parousia" by
C.P. Ceroke, P.1033.
5 Ibid. p.
1035
6 New Catholic Encyclopedia,
Vol. 10, s.v."Parousia" by C.P. Ceroke, P.1035.
7 Ibid. Pp.
1035-36.
8 The Anchor Bible Dictionary,
vol. 5, s.v. “Parousia” by Christopher Rowland, p. 168.
10 The Anchor Bible Dictionary,
Vol. 5, s.v. “Parousia” by Christopher Rowland, p. 169.
[23] Hayes
Zachary, “ Parousia” in The New Dictionary of the Theology, TPI, Bangalore
[24] Joseph
A. Komonchak, ed. The New Dictionary
of Theology, Theological Publication, Bangalore
[25] Hayes
Zachary, “ Parousia” in The New Dictionary of the Theology, TPI, Bangalore
[27] Noren Joseph Baidya:Theisi on
Parousia, Banani, Dhaka , 1998. P.6
[28] http://www.loveallpeople.org/universalsalvation.html
[29] Ibid
[30] Ibid
[31] http://www.loveallpeople.org/universalsalvation.html
[32] Ibid
[33] Ibid
[34] Ibid
[38] Ibid
[40] Ibid
[41] Richard
P. McBRINE (ed.), The HarperCollins Encyclopedia of Catholicism. ‘Universal Salvific Will of God’, New York
[42] Ibid,
p. 1290
[43] Hans
Urs Von Balthesar, Dare We Hope, “That All Men Be Saved”, San Francisco
[44] Hans
Urs Von Balthesar, Dare We Hope, “That All Men Be Saved”?, Op., Cit., p.
75-76
[47] Ibid
[48] Hans
Urs Von Balthesar, Dare We Hope, “That All Men Be Saved”?, Op., Cit., p.
44
[49] Ibid,
p. 45
[50] Richard
P. McBrien, Catholicism, New York
[52] Ibid
[54] Ibid
[55]
Documents of Vatican II, The Church Today, no. 45
[56]
Documents of Vatican II, The Church Today, no. 57
[57]
Catechism of Catholic Church, no. 1058
[58] Ibid, 1821
[59] Sacramentary, the Roman Missal, New York, Catholic Book Publishing Co., 1985, p.
551
[60] The Liturgy of the Hours, The Divine Office,
New York, Catholic Book Publishing Co., 1975, p. 849
posted by Johnastine @ 00:40
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